Kinetics & Dosing
The numbers that run every prescription — clearance, half-life, steady state, and dosing.
Clearance, Half-Life & Steady State: The Numbers That Run Dosing
"Give it a few days to build up." Every clinician says it, but why is it true? Why does a drug you start today only reach its full working level next week — and why does a single glass of wine follow completely different maths from a paracetamol tablet? Two numbers, clearance and half-life, quietly govern every dose and every interval you'll ever prescribe. Here's how they work.
Loading Dose, Maintenance Dose & Drug Monitoring
In an emergency you cannot wait five half-lives for a drug to work — a seizing brain or a racing heart needs a therapeutic level NOW. So how do clinicians jump the queue safely, then hold the level steady for days without tipping into poison? The answer is two doses with two different jobs — and, for the most dangerous drugs, a blood test that keeps the whole thing honest.
